When does an anti-Government uprising become a civil war? Can the rebels wage a proper united campaign? How will the West proceed in its dealings with Libya and the wider North Africa Middle East (MENA) region?

An Armenian saying avers that one can snuff out a candle but there are always other matches to light a new candle. This came to mind when I learnt that Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs in Pakistan, had been killed in Islamabad when his car was ambushed by four religious extremists.

Did it start with Tunisia earlier this year, or was it Iran that inspired the trend in 2009 or perhaps even Lebanon as far back as 2005? Was Egypt an isolated albeit epic event or is it one that truly connects the dots in a region riddled with all forms of injustice? How come 'people power' has suddenly re-awakened across the Middle East and North Africa region?

Given the shifts taking place almost on a daily basis across the whole Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region since last month, it was especially interesting to read the ACN interview reproduced by Ekklesia with HE Cardinal Antonius Naguib from the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt -- also a member of the Middle East Council of Churches.

President Mubarak has said he will not seek re-election when the country goes to the polls in September 2011. That's not soon enough for the anti-government protesters who have given him until today - Friday 4 February - to stand down.

The themes of Advent, the situation of Christians in Israel-Palestine at the moment, plus the meeting of the Holy Land Coordination in January 2011 are topics covered in a recently recorded podcast.

How to sum up our Armenian realities today? What strikes me most is that Armenians have managed to survive manifold hardships throughout history without giving up on our faith, language and history.

Previously, I referred to the horrific genocidal experiences that amputated Armenians from Ottoman Turkish society during WWI and cost the lives of scores of men, women and children - including member

If two of the main cornerstones of the Armenian people are their faith and language, a third is the Armenian genocide that took place under cover of WWI.

Having yesterday introduced Armenians as a distinct global people - including roughly 14,000 living in the UK - mostly in London and Manchester, I would like to consider Armenia and Christianity.